Tampa Charms Mocs 3-1 in Tuesday Grudge-Match

TAMPA, Fla. – Using a balanced attack from its pin hitters, the No. 23 University of Tampa volleyball team got its revenge over rival Florida Southern College by a 3-1 final score on Tuesday in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. Four Spartan hitters totaled double-digit kills to avenge its Sept. 27 loss on the road.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: No. 23 Tampa 3, Florida Southern 1 (25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18)
Records: Tampa Spartans (18-6, 8-3 SSC), Embry-Riddle Eagles (15-8, 7-4 SSC)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center| Tampa, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

Set 1 | Both teams fought tooth and nail in the opening set, trading points all the way to Tampa's 25-23 win. Senior Allee Stelogeannis posted five kills and seven digs while right side Katie McKiel added four kills. The Mocs middles combined for seven kills at an even .500 attack  while Anna Tovo and Brindl Langley notched six digs each.

Set 2 | The battle continued in the second stanza as the Spartans emerged with a 25-22 win to earn a 2-0 match advantage. Right side hitters McKiel and Gen Beaumier posted four and three kills, respectively while libero Logan Holanchock and setter Jen Aprile took care of the defense, combining for 15 digs. Middle blocker Taylor Fosler added two kills and two blocks as FSC continued to rely on its middles for offense. Mocs senior Rachel Mostert posted an errorless four kills in the set.

Set 3 | Backed into a corner, the Mocs rallied behind the quick serve of setter Bethany Besancenez. The sophomore finished with nine assists, five digs, two kills and a service ace as FSC took the third set by a 25-22 score. Beaumier led the charge for UT, totaling four kills in the frame while Stelogeannis notched nine digs.

Set 4 | Stelogeannis and Beaumier closed out the fourth and final set of play, adding five and four kills to their stat lines, respectively. Stelogeannis stifled the FSC hitters with two enormous solo blocks to deafen the Mocs and seal the 3-1 win behind a 25-18 fourth set.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Three Spartans shared the team-high in kills, as Stelogeannis, McKiel and junior Molly McAlvany grounded 12 kills each. Right side Beaumier posted 11 kills at a strong .370 attack percentage as Tampa used a rounded offense to takedown the Mocs.

• Setter Aprile posted a career-high 22 digs for Tampa, adding 22 assists to help tune the offense and post a double-double effort. Fellow setter Sammy Mueller notched 24 assists and missed her own double-double by a single dig, totaling nine across four sets.

• Stelogeannis finished with 21 digs, matching her career-high set on Sept. 9 against Henderson State earlier in the season. The senior posted her 15^th double-double of the year.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Four Tampa hitters posted double-digit kills for the first time this season.

• Libero Holanchock added 19 digs in the match, bringing her career-total to 995, five digs shy of number 1,000. The sophomore would be just the 13^th UT volleyball athlete to record 1,000 digs and is the third to do so in her second season of play, joining the likes of Margeaux Sinibaldi and Hilary Epling.

• Four FSC hitters reached double-digits in kills to match the Spartan attack. Middle blockers Mostert and Allie Geary posted 13 and 11 kills, respectively while outside tandem of Tovo and Nicole Mattson added 16 and 11 for the Mocs.

• Florida Southern libero Langley posted a match-high 28 digs, recording 27 in the first three sets.

UP NEXT:

The Spartans will host Florida Tech for its Senior Night, recognizing the accomplishments of its senior class. The Saturday, Nov. 5 contest is set to begin at 4 p.m. with a pre-match ceremony. Live stats and a live video webcast will be provided through www.tampaspartans.com. 

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